Untold: The Life of an Ordinary Hero
by Ravyna
Summary: They say your life flashes before your eyes when you die. This is the life of an ordinary hero.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ok, so this is the first fanfic I've written in a long time. I've lost the email address that my old account was attached to, ravynous, if anyone wants to read some old Final Fantasy fics lol. This story "starts" at the end of ME 3, but it's more of a prequel to the whole thing. FemShep, Paragon, Colonist/War Hero. I'm going to try to keep this at a T rating, but later chapters might become M, I'm not sure yet. It's basically the untold story of Shepard, in my opinion. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: Bioware owns the Mass Effect universe. I only own the characters I threw into it. :)**

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><p><em>Is this it? Is this the end? <em>Samantha Shepard tried to make sense of what was going on around her. She couldn't move her body, but she felt herself flipping around. She saw the green light all around her, barely heard explosions going off. _What have I done? Liara, forgive me..._ Tears streamed down her face and she lost consciousness...

xXXx

"Hey, Tyler! Wait for me!" Samantha ran after her brother. The sun was shining overhead, another peaceful, boring day on Mindoir.

Tyler turned around and grinned at her. "Sam, you're so slow! Come on, I don't have all day!"

She caught up to him, and caught her breath. When she finally stood up, she looked at her "older" twin. They were as different-looking as could be. Her hair is a dark red, and hangs well past her shoulders, and green eyes bright and full of life. His hair is a dark brown, military-style crew cut, with chocolate colored eyes. "Not fair. You're taller, so your legs are longer!"

He laughed at her statement, and playfully ruffled her hair. "You're getting there, though!"

At that moment, Logan Davis walked up to the twins. "You two look like you're having fun."

Samantha blushed slightly, seeing the older boy. She tried stammering out a greeting, but Tyler beat her to it. "Logan! You're just in time. Dad's letting me teach Sam to shoot."

Logan laughed, a full, boisterous laugh. "Seriously? She might shoot her foot off or something. This I've gotta see!"

Samantha looked down at her feet, tears prickling at her eyes. Tyler could sense something was wrong. "We're heading toward the old barn, if you wanna meet us there." He pointed toward the old, wooden shed. Logan nodded, and head that way. "Sam? You okay?"

She sniffed a bit, and looked up at him. "Why is he always like that?"

Tyler thought a moment before answering. "I asked him the same thing last week. Do you know what he said?" She shook her head. "He said, it was because he didn't know how else to talk to you. He's afraid that if he acted on the way he really felt about you, I'd kick his ass." Tyler laughed at what he said.

"Really? He feels that way?"

"That's what he told me. Maybe at the party tonight you can talk to him, see if he's telling the truth. If he's lying, well, that's when I kick his ass." Samantha smiled slightly at this. Tyler nodded and started running toward the shed again. "Come on, slowpoke!"

She ran after him, head held high. When they finally got to the shed, they had an audience of sorts, waiting. She felt her heart catch in her chest, wondering if she would look like an idiot. Even their dad was there. He smiled at her, then turned back to watch Tyler. He had ducked into the shed, and came out with two pistols. He threw one to Samantha, who caught it without thinking.

"Well, you can catch, that's something. Let's start off with something easy. I had dad setup some empty bottles. Let's see if you can hit any of them. Come over here."

She walked toward him, clutching the gun in a death grip. _What a way to spend your sixteenth birthday, making an ass out of yourself._ She stopped right next to him, and faced the bottles.

"So, the army of bottles is coming to kill us all. Will you stop them, or will they win?" Tyler smiled at her. "Let's see your stance, first." _He's had so much more practice then me. Why's dad doing this? _She breathed in deeply and raised her right arm. She had seen her dad and brother shoot so many times before, she knew to brace herself with her left arm as well. Tyler nodded. "Good, but place your legs slightly apart. This pistol's got some kick to it." She complied, putting her feet at the same width as her shoulders. Standing up straight, she tried lining up a bottle. Breathing in deeply, she pulled the trigger...

And completely missed the bottle. Everyone laughed at her, and she was mortified. Logan started clapping. "Nice shot, Shepard." He easily hopped the fence and walked toward her. "At least it wasn't your foot." He patted her shoulder. "Tyler, give me your gun." Logan took the gun offered to him, and stood right next to Sam. "Your brother forgot to tell you one small thing. Bend your knees a bit, to offset the recoil." She got back into position, and did as he instructed. "Good. Now, try again. Don't be discouraged if you don't get it this time, either. It takes a bit of practice." She squeezed the trigger again. This time, a bottle exploded. "Whoa... or you could just be a natural." Even her dad looked amazed.

"A bottle's good and all, but what about a target? The bullet could've just grazed the bottle. With a target, we'd actually know where she hit?" Tyler looked at his sister. "If that's ok with you, Sam." She nodded, still looking at where the bottle had been. "Good. Dad, we still have some extra bullseyes in the shed?"

"We should. Could set them up over by the trees there." Tyler nodded and went in the shed. Logan looked at Sam, and his lip twitched into a small smile, before walking toward the trees. She followed silently behind him, heart fluttering in her chest.

Tyler came back out with the targets, and set two up. "So, who wants to compete against her?"

Logan stepped forward. "I will, if you don't mind, Ty."

Tyler shook his head and grinned. "Don't go easy on her, man. No sense in coddling her." He looked at Sam, who was smiling with confidence.

_Maybe this is why dad's making me do this?_ Logan and Sam stood in front of their respective targets, and took aim. After they had both emptied their clips, Tyler walked to the targets and examined both. He turned around, dumbstruck. "Well, I don't know how to say this... but it seems like Sam won." She was confused.

"What? How?" Logan was just as confused. He walked over to the targets, and looked at both. "You're right. She won, but how?" He looked at Tyler. "Have you been secretly training her or something?"

"What? No! This was her first time!"

"Seems she picked up on it quickly. Just like a Shepard always does." Her dad was standing next to her, beaming at her. He put his arm around her shoulder. "Come on, Sammy. Let's get you cleaned up before your mom has a heart attack." He started leading her toward the house. When they were far enough away from the rest of the group, he turned toward her. "How did you manage that?"

_I don't know. I just did it._ She didn't say what she was thinking, she just shrugged. "Lucky shot?"

He shook his head, laughed slightly, and continued walking. Sam trailed behind him, wondering what made her father so nervous.


	2. Chapter 2

Briana Shepard looked at her children, smiling slightly. She held out her arms to them, and grabbed them into a hug. "I'm so proud of the two of you. You've both grown into amazing adults. Now go and enjoy your party."

Sam and Tyler walked out of the house, and immediately were bombared with what seemed like the entire colony singing Happy Birthday. When they finished, everyone broke off into groups, eating, drinking, and laughing. Tyler walked off to join some of his friends. Samantha sighed, and walked toward the artificial lake by the houses. It was her favorite spot in all of Mindoir. She hadn't noticed that someone followed her down there.

Logan cleared his throat, which made Sam nearly jump out of her skin. "Sorry, Samantha. I didn't mean to scare you." He stepped next to her. "Why aren't you up there?" He gestured behind him, at the party.

She shrugged. _i'm not my brother. I'm not that good with people. Like you..._ "I just wanted to be by myself for a bit. Especially after earlier. You just let me win, didn't you?"

Logan looked at her. "No. I tried. You're better then Tyler, I think. Have you been sneaking it?" She shook her head. He smiled. "You're just a natural then. Why don't we sit down? It's nice here." He sat first, patting the grass next to him. She sat down next to him, trying not to touch him.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you do this? You're so nice to me when we're alone, but anyone else is around, and you change. Why? Are you ashamed of me?"

Logan thought before answering. "No. But I'm not sure how you feel. And I don't want your brother to kill me for doing something you don't want me to. He may be younger than me, but he still scares me." He smiled at her and put a tentative arm around her shoulders. She tensed slightly, before relaxing into him. She put her head on his shoulder. "It's nice to know I'm not the only one who feels this way." She looked up at him, before sitting up straight. She leaned toward him, and kissed him. It was a short kiss, more of a peck, but it set her heart racing. He stared down at her, clearly not expecting her to kiss him.

"I-I'm..."

"Shhh. I liked that, I just wasn't expecting it from you, that's all. Maybe you are a Shepard after all, Sam." She looked at him, confusion in her eyes. He chuckled softly before explaining. "Compared to your brother and parents, you're quiet, reserved. But that's what I like about you. That, and you're not a bad shot." He kissed her before she could say anything. A deeper kiss than before. They broke it off, breathless. "Do you want to go back to the party?"

"Not yet." She settled back next to him. "I just want to stay with you for a bit longer." He nodded and they just enjoyed each others company.

xXXx

That night she went to bed, dreams of Logan accompanied her. But her sleep wasn't as restful as it should have been. A loud bang went off outside her window. She awoke with a start, only to be greeted by flames flickering in her room. She climbed out of bed, and went to the window. Screams pierced her ears. She couldn't really see what was going on. Gunshots, screams, fire. She backed away from the window, and scrambled to the door. Tyler and their dad armored up, pistols at their sides. "Sam, stay here with mom!" Tyler hissed, throwing a pistol to her. "Keep her safe, and keep your heads down!" They stormed out of the house, into the fray. She ran to her mom.

She was crying, frightened. "Mom, what's happening?"

"Ba-batarians. Oh, God, they're going to kill us all!" She was unbelievably frightened.

_Batarians? Here? Gotta get her to calm down a bit._ "Mom! It'll be ok! The Alliance will be here soon!" Her mother was shaking uncontrollably. Samantha hugged her mom, smoothed her hair back from her face. She could feel her mom shaking still, sobs racking her body. It seemed to be working, when the front door busted open. Samantha shoved her mom behind the bed, and crouched down, pistol pointing at the door. It was Tyler, covered in blood. _Oh my God... What happened to him? It's hard to tell if any of that is his blood._ "What happened?"

"Dad's... dad's dead..." He dropped to his knees, blood coming out of the side of his mouth. The sight of her son like this was enough to send Briana insane. She tried to push Samantha out of the way to him.

"Mom! Calm down, please!" Her voice was cracking with emotion. It hurt to see Tyler like this. She scurried over to him. "Are you hurt?"

He looked at her and grabbed her hand. Voice barely above a whisper, he said, "Sam, I know this is hard, but run. Go away, leave us. I can barely move and mom... well, look at her. She's breaking. Save yourself, sis. Dad got a call out to the Alliance, but God knows when they'll get here."

She was shocked. _Is he telling me to leave?_ "No! I won't leave you!"

With the last of his strength, he pushed her out of the room, leaving blood on her shirt. "Go Samantha! Don't you argue with me! Now is not the time! Live for us! I love you sis." He slammed the door behind him, and fell against it, clutching his pistol.

Sam's eyes filled with tears as she stood back up. "I love you too..." She hung her head, and walked out of the front door. Smoke flooded the street, less screams than before. She didn't know which way to go, but she kept low. She stumbled over something, and looked to see what it was. A human arm attached to... _Oh no... Logan!_ She looked at him, and saw the hole in the middle of his forehead. _Oh God... I think I'm gonna be sick..._ She had to turn around, gagging on the smell of burning. She ran, ran toward the lake, and the forest beyond.

When she finally got there, she fell on the ground, heaving, tears streaming down her face. She pounded the ground, out of desperation, out of fear. Most of all because she felt helpless. _I shouldn't have run! I should've stayed and fought! I can go back..._ She got up and turned around...

Only to see the colony burning. Thick, black smoke billowed up into the sky. She fell down and cried.

xXXx

_That was a horrible nightmare._ She stretched and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. _What is a tree doing in my room? Oh no... It wasn't a dream!_ She stood straight up and looked across the lake. Smoke was still rising, the smell bringing back the unpleasantness of the night before. She started to run back toward the colony, when she heard unfamiliar voices speaking to each other.

"Sir, the batarians are dug in pretty deep. I don't think we can launch a rescue."

Samantha walked slowly to where she heard the voices. Two Alliance marines speaking to each other, a man and a woman.

The man grumbled. "We can't just leave these people here!"

"I don't see any other option. They've killed almost everyone. And the ones they haven't..." Samantha took in a shocked breath at this. The female marine heard this. "Who's there?" She started toward Sam, who ducked instinctively. The marine found her. "Sir! I think we have a survivor here!" She turned back to Sam, with a warm and inviting look on her face. "It's ok, sweetie. We won't hurt you. I'm Corporal Harris and this is Lieutenant Zabaleta. We're Alliance." Sam slowly stood up. "That's a good girl. Can you tell me your name?"

"S-Samantha."

"Nice to meet you, Samantha. We're going to get you to safety, don't you worry. Lieutenant, do you see any other survivors?"

He just stared at the remains of the colony, and slowly shook his head. "No, Corporal, I don't. Let's get back to the shuttle."

Harris nodded, and went to grab Sam's hand. She backed away, looking back at her home, smoldering in the morning sun. "There's nothing... nothing you can do for them. I know it's hard, but you have to come with us. You can't stay here." Sam turned around and looked at Harris, tears welling up in her eyes. _I can't leave them! Tyler... he wouldn't leave me alone like this! Mom and dad and everyone, it's just... _She let her shoulders sag, knowing that there was no one left, and let Harris take her hand. "We'll get you some help, I promise. But we have to get out of here, first."

xXXx

Sam hadn't been on a spaceship since she was a baby. When her parents had decided to move to Mindoir from Earth. She was taking in all the sights, staring out of the window as much as possible. The crew tried approaching her on a number of occassions, but she kept to herself. She didn't want to talk about it. _Nothing can bring them back. I miss them. I want to go back home!_

They arrived at Earth, at an Alliance school. She got off the ship, and looked around. The sights and sounds were almost too much to take in. Harris walked out behind Sam. They were greeted by a woman, and a girl who looked a little younger than Sam.

"Dr. Phillips, how nice of you to meet us. This is Samantha. We rescued her from Mindoir. We haven't been able to get anything else out of her."

The woman, Dr. Phillips, frowned slightly. Sam wasn't paying much attention to them, she was more interested in the girl. When she saw Sam looking at her, she smiled and extended her hand. "Hi there! I'm Kayla. What's your name?"

Sam looked at her a bit more before answering. Light brown hair pulled back in a tight bun, and crystal blue eyes, shining at her. "I-I'm Samantha," she stuttered. She reached her hand out to Kayla.

Kayla's smile grew even bigger. "Nice to meet you, Samantha! You're gonna like it here. My mom will take good care of you, don't you worry. Right mom?" She looked up at the doctor.

"That's right, sweetheart." Dr. Phillips smiled, and bent down to face Sam better. "I'm Dr. Emily Phillips. I'm a psychiatrist, and I'm going to do my best to help you, ok?" Sam nodded slowly.

"Later! Come on, Sam! I wanna show you everything!" Kayla took Sam's hand and practically dragged her toward the buildings. "We're gonna have a lot of fun!"

Emily just shook her head at them, before turning back to the Corporal. "How was she during the flight?"

"Reserved, ma'am. I think your daughter might be able to get more out her than anyone."

"I think you may be right. I have to get prepared, thank you."

"Of course, ma'am. Take care of her. She needs a lot of patience."

Emily nodded. "That's why she's my only patient at the moment." Emily turned and walked toward the building.

xXXx

Sam sighed. She liked Emily and Kayla well enough, but... _I wish they would just leave me alone._ There was a slight knock on the door. Sam got up, and looked around the room. Nothing impressive, just a bed, a desk, a chair, and a closet. It was spacious enough, but it wasn't home. Two weeks had passed since she had come to New York. And she hated almost every minute of it.

She got to the door, not surprised to see Emily there. "Sam, I know this is hard for you." Emily walked in the room, and closed the door behind her. "But I have an idea. What if you kept a journal? Instead of talking about things, you could write them down. How does that sound?" _Write... I..._ Sam nodded slowly. "Good! I brought some pencils and a pad. Whenever you want to, wherever you are, just write. Whatever you want, ok?" Sam nodded. "Here, I'll leave them on the desk then. I'll see you later." Emily left Sam alone.

Sam walked to the desk, and looked at the pad. She sat at the desk and breathed in deeply. She grabbed a pencil, and tapped the eraser on the desk for a bit. _What should I put down? Dear Diary? That sounds dumb._

_April 25, 2170_

_ This place is strange. There's barely any trees. Everyone's all serious. Except Kayla. I like her. She makes this place bearable. I wish I had a sister. I miss my brother, my parents, Logan... I hate this. I hate it so much. I hate being here. Why did dad make me learn to shoot? I couldn't do anything. I hate feeling helpless. I hate that I DIDN'T do anything. I hate that I ran. I should have stayed. I should be dead too._

Sam stopped writing, tears filling her eyes. She didn't like to think about it. _Should I crumble this up? Pretend it never happened? _The thought was tempting, but she knew Emily was trying to help her. She shook her head, and got up from the desk. Crossing the room to window, she just looked out. People going about their business, not knowing what happened, not caring. She sighed, when there was another knock at the door. She walked to the door, and opened it.

"Hey Sam! Let's go play!" It was Kayla, with her ever present smile. Sam found it hard not to smile back. She nodded and followed Kayla. She didn't even notice Emily go in her room behind her.

Emily walked to the desk, to see if Sam had written anything. She read the small journal entry with a heavy heart. "Oh you poor dear. I'm sorry." She hung her head down, and walked out of the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm aware some people may not like the way this has started. I know I put FemShep/Liara. It just hasn't gotten there yet.**

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><p>"It's been almost a year. You've made great progress, Sam." Emily smiled softly at her.<p>

Sam smiled back. She was slowly coming out of her shell. She actually spoke back for the most part. "Can I go now? Kayla's waiting for me."

"Of course. You two be careful, ok?" Sam nodded and ran out of the room.

Sam knew Kayla was right around the corner. She grinned when she saw her friend. "Kayla!"

"Sam! Come on, Mitchell wanted to talk to us, remember?" Sam nodded, thinking about Mitchell. He was 18, getting ready to start Alliance training in a few days. He was completely different from Logan, from any guy she knew. She followed Kayla to the courtyard, where Mitchell was waiting, alone. "Hi, Mitchell!"

"Hmm? Oh, hi Kayla. Hi Sam." He smiled at her. "Kayla, do you mind if I talk to Sam alone?"

Kayla looked at him, and then at Sam, who was smiling at him. "I guess so." Kayla hung her head and walked away.

"So, Sam. I leave in a couple of days. I thought maybe we could spend some time alone." She just nodded, speechless. _My heart's fluttering again..._ Mitchell walked toward a tree and sat down next to it. Sam sat next to him, not knowing what to expect. He put his hand on hers. _Logan... Should I be doing this?_ Her vision grew blurry, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. Mitchell saw it, and wiped it away, his hand catching on the back of her neck. He drew her head close to his, and kissed her, deeply. His mouth opened slightly, tongue forcing it's way into her mouth. They broke the kiss, and she inhaled deeply. "That was amazing, Sam." She just nodded, half dazed. "I have an idea. Come with me." He stood up, holding his hand out to her. She got up and held his hand.

"Where are we going?"

"To my room, it's quieter there. I want to show you something." She followed behind him. They got to his room, which wasn't much different from hers. He sat on the bed and patted the mattress next to him. "Come sit next to me." She did, and looked at him. He kissed her again, this time hungrily. He started to reach for her chest, when she broke the kiss.

"What?"

"Shh." He pinned her hands behind her back, kissing her fiercely again. He tried to pull up her shirt, when she tried kicking him off of her. "Come on, Sam! You've been driving me crazy for weeks!" His hold on her loosened a bit, and she got control of her hands again. She pushed him off of her.

"Stop!"

He growled, and threw her against the bed. Before he could climb on top of her, she flared slightly. _What the hell is this?_ She pushed him again, harder. He stared at her, eyes wide. "What the hell? Why didn't you say you were a biotic?"

_Biotic?_ She quickly looked around the room, and saw a lamp. She threw the lamp at him, without moving from the bed. _Oh my God! How did I do that?_ She missed him, but it was enough to send him running out of the room, door left wide open. Sam folded in on herself, crying. She barely heard Emily and Kayla come in.

"Sam? Are you alright?" asked Emily.

"Sam! I knew you'd be in trouble. I got my mom and..." Kayla looked around the room. "What happened?"

"I threw a lamp at him," Sam explained. "With my mind..." She looked up at Emily, tears still streaming down her face. Emily sat down on the bed next to her, and hugged Sam. "It's ok, sweetie. It's ok." She patted Sam's back, rocking slowly back and forth. Kayla also sat on the bed, hugging her mom and her friend.

xXXx

Sam rubbed the sore spot on the back of her neck. The implant was only a few weeks old, and still hurt. She was surprised that she didn't get in trouble for what happened with Mitchell. His Alliance training was put on hold though, and he was transferred to a different city. Sam looked at the newest entry in her journal.

_April 10, 2171_

_So, I am a biotic. Apparently that spaceship accident above Mindoir 3 years ago wasn't the first time I was exposed to eezo. Before me and Tyler were born, when mom was still pregnant, we were. I don't know the specifics, but I've heard the doctors talk about it. I've started training. They say I can channel this anger of mine. But I'm not angry, not as much. After what Mitchell... I don't think I can trust guys. We'll see what happens. Vanguard, that sounds interesting. And next year, Alliance training. Maybe I can prevent what happened on Mindoir from happening to anyone else._

xXXx

Kayla was strangely quiet that day. It was April 11, 2172. She dreaded this day, the day Sam would be enlisting in the Alliance. She stood wordlessly behind her friend, as Sam fidgeted in front of the mirror.

"How do I look?" Sam wore her hair down, and it reached barely past her shoulders. She was wearing a dark green, tight sweater and a pair of black slacks. "Last day in civilian clothing." Sam was grinning. _This feels wrong. I should be back on Mindoir, and this should be Tyler getting ready to leave._ Kayla nodded wordlessly. "You ok, Kayla? You're quiet." Kayla nodded again, and attempted a small smile. Sam raised her eyebrow at the younger girl, but just shrugged it off.

Kayla lowered her head. "I-I'm not ok, Sam. I dont want you to leave."

Sam stared at her back, before walking toward her. She reached out to Kayla's shoulder, and spun her around. Kayla was crying. "Hey, it's ok. We'll keep in touch, I promise." Sam lightly kissed the top of her head, and hugged her tightly. Kayla flung her arms around Sam, and hugged her even tighter. Sam could feel her trembling. Sam stroked her back, memories floating back. To nights when she couldn't sleep, and her mom would do the same thing. Sam started crying as well.

Kayla pushed away from Sam. She sniffled, and wiped her face. She was looking down at her feet. Sam tilted her face up. "You ok now?" Kayla was biting her lower lip, but nodded. "Good. You'll always be my friend, Kayla. No matter what." Kayla nodded and looked up at Sam. She smiled slightly, and then quickly kissed Sam. She then ran out of the room. _What was that?_ Sam stood there stunned for a bit. She blinked, and then walked out of her room.

xXXx

Sam breathed a sigh of relief. She passed the physical with flying colors. She would start boot camp in the next week. _I should tell Kayla. She'll be happy for me... But, after what happened before, I don't know what to think. _Sam was lost in though, and bumped into Emily. "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't see you there."

"It's alright, Sam. How did everything go?"

"Good. I'm leaving within the week."

Emily nodded, smiling at Sam. "That's great news. You'll like it in the Alliance."

"I know. I just, I don't want to leave Kayla, or you. You both have done so much for me." Tears pricked at Sam's eyes.

Emily pulled Sam into a hug. It had taken so long to get her to share her emotions, her pain. It was easy to forget what this young woman had endured. Nightmares and survivor guilt. "Don't think of it as leaving then. It might be a while, but you're always welcome here. You're a part of the family." She could feel Sam nod. "Good. Now go find Kayla and tell her the good news."

"Yeah, I'm going to do that now. Do you know where she is?"

Emily thought for a moment. "She said that you would know."

Sam thought for a minute, before nodding. "You're right, I think I do know where she is. Thanks, Emily!"

Sam ran off to the park that her and Kayla always went to. She saw Kayla sitting by a large tree. Sam walked over to her slowly. "Mind if I sit down?" Kayla jumped slightly, but nodded and moved over to let Sam sit. They sat in silence for a few minutes. Sam breathed in before saying anything. "I passed the physical." Kayla just nodded. "I'll be leaving within the next week." Kayla nodded again. Sam put her head against the trunk of the tree. She could see the buds coming in. The park would be beautiful by next month. She squeezed her eyes shut against the tears that came. A tear rolled down her cheek, but was wiped away by Kayla.

"Sam, that's great. Really, it is." Kayla put her hand on Sam's shoulder. "You're gonna be great." Kayla lowered her head. Sam turned to look at her and smiled. She put her hand on Kayla's and squeezed gently. Kayla lifted her head and looked at Sam. She smiled slightly back at Sam. Sam put her arm around Kayla and brought her in close to her.

"Thanks for having such confidence in me."

"What kind of friend would I be if I didn't?"

Sam laughed at that. "Kayla, what was that about?"

"You needed a boost."

"No, I meant when I was getting ready."

"Oh, that." Kayla didn't say anything for a bit. "That was... it was nothing." Kayla shifted away from Sam a bit.

"What do you mean, nothing?" Sam tightened her arm on Kayla. "You can't just do something like that and say nothing."

"It was... I'm scared, Sam. I don't want to lose you."

"Oh, Kayla. You're not losing me. I'll email you all the time. So much, that you'll get sick of it!" Kayla smiled a little at that. "Everytime I get a chance, I'll be back. But that was it? You kissed me because you're scared?"

Kayla shook her head. "That was part of the reason. After... after Mitchell, I..."

Sam nodded. "A year? That's a long time to not say anything about it." Sam released her arm from Kayla. She gently grabbed Kayla's head and turned her up to look in her eyes. "You didn't have to hide it." Sam smiled gently down at her, and kissed her lips gently. "We could've had so much more time together, Kayla."

Kayla looked down at the ground. "I didn't know..."

"Of course you didn't. You never said anything!" Sam laughed. Sam lifted Kayla's head again, and smiled at her. "This just gives me more incentive to come back, doesn't it?"

Kayla smiled up at her and nodded. "I can't believe how stupid I was!"

"No, not stupid. Scared." Sam kissed her again, this time with a little more force. She could hear Kayla's breath hitch. "Come on. Let's head back." Sam stood up, and grabbed for Kayla's hand.

xXXx

The night of the 14th. The night before Sam leaves for boot camp. Sam sighed loudly to no one in particular. _Party... I'm not sure if..._ Her thoughts were cut off due to a knocking at her door. "Come in."

The door opened and revealed Kayla. The light brown hair she usually wore in a bun, flowed down around her shoulders, down to her waist. A smile was on her lips. She was wearing a modest, tight black skirt, that came slightly above her knees, and a dark blue dress shirt that brought out her eyes. "What do you think, Sam?"

"My god... You're beautiful." Sam reluctantly got her cut. Slightly shorter then shoulder length, copper red hair. She wore a plain, dark green sleeveless shirt, and black dress pants. "I would kill to have legs like that." She walked over to Kayla and hugged her.

"Oh come on, your legs aren't _that_ bad!" Kayla laughed.

"Very funny." Sam sighed again.

"Everything ok?"

"I'm just thinking."

"About?"

Sam hesitated a bit before answering. She released her hold on Kayla and walked to the bed. She sat down, and put her head in her hands. Breathing in deeply, she answered. "The last time I had a party, that night..." She couldn't continue, the tears were streaming down her face.

Kayla walked over to her and kneeled in front of her. She ran her hand through Sam's hair. "It's ok. Nothing like that's gonna happen now." She stood up and sat down next to Sam.

Sam ontinued crying for a bit, Kayla's hand rubbing her back. "It was horrible, Kayla. Everyone I loved, dead. My brother..." She breathed in again. Lifting her head, she looked at Kayla. "My mom, dad, everyone."

Kayla gathered her into a hug, still rubbing Sam's back. "We don't have to go. You can say you don't feel well."

Sam shook her head. "No. We'll go. I need to do this. But thanks." She kissed Kayla before getting off the bed. "We should go." Kayla nodded wordlessly and followed Sam out of the room.

xXXx

Today was the day. Sam stood in front of the shuttle, her small duffel bag on the ground next to her. Emily and Kayla stood behind her. She turned around, and looked at the two of them. She hugged Emily first. "Thank you, for everything."

"It's my job." Emily smiled slightly.

Sam shook her head. "Not everything you did was. You did more for me then almost anyone. You helped me, guided me. Thank you." She stepped back slightly, and saw Emily was trying not to cry. Sam smiled at her and turned to Kayla. Kayla's head was bowed. She walked over to Kayla, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Kayla..."

"No, don't say anything. Please."

"But..."

Kayla looked up at Sam. She put a hand to her face. "No. I don't want to hear it. Let's just leave it like this." She kissed Sam. "I love you, no matter what." Kayla turned and walked away.

Sam felt a tear run down her face. "I love you too, Kayla." She bent down and picked up her bag. Waving to Emily, she walked toward the shuttle, heavy hearted.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ok, so this chapter took a little longer to get out then I wanted it to. I apologize about that. Work gets in the way of everything.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Shepard, Samantha. Service number 5923-AC-2826. Biotic, no specialized training." Sam stepped forward when her name was called. She was with a few other trainees, and was the last one called. "Alright, listen up! These will be the hardest six months of your life!" The drill instructor was pacing in front of the trainees. "Those of you who get through it, good for you! If you don't think you can make it, the door's over there!" No one dared move for the door. "Good to see none of you are cowards! Grab your bags and bunk up!" No one moved. "NOW!"

Sam grabbed her bag and looked around the room. It was very sparse, and dull looking. Dull yellow paint covered the walls, and the floor was a dingy-looking white. She picked out a bed in the middle of the room,and started putting her things away. The last thing she took out of her bag was a picture of Kayla. She smiled wistfully at it, before putting it in the trunk at the end of her bed. She looked up and saw one of the other trainees looking at her.

"Hi."

"Hello," said Sam.

"My name is Rachel Maynard." Rachel had extended her hand toward Sam. Sam shook it and smiled.

"I'm Samantha Shepard, but my friends call me Sam."

"Well Sam, I hope we both make it through this. You mind if I take this bed?" Rachel motioned to the bed to the right of Sam's.

"Go ahead." Rachel nodded and smiled at her.

Rachel sat on her bed, unpacked her things, and looked at Sam. She sat there for a bit before saying anything. "So, I heard the drill instructor say you're a biotic?" Sam nodded. "No training?"

"Not much. I only found out about it last year." Sam shuddered slightly at the memory.

"Oh. Well, I'm a biotic too, so if you need some help, I'm here for you."

"Thanks, Rachel. That means a lot to me."

Rachel just nodded at her. "Where are you from?"

Sam sighed before answering. "I was born and raised on a colony world. Mindoir. But, I had to... move, two years ago. I was living in an Alliance garrison in New York until now. What about you?"

"I grew up around here. Military family for what seems like forever." She laughed bitterly. "My dad's in the Alliance, my brothers are, my grandmother was, probably great grandparents too. It was expected of me. Dad's got a permanent station here in Vancouver." She shook here head, and said, almost to herself, "I hate it."

Sam just looked at her, not knowing what to say. "Wow. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's nice to meet someone who isn't all military, all the time." They heard a bell ring in the distance. "Chow time. Come on, we want to get to the mess hall before all the good food's gone." Rachel stood up, and beckoned Sam to follow.

xXXx

A few weeks into basic, and Sam was still at it. She had no problem with basic firearms training, despite that she hadn't shot a gun in two years. She absolutely shined with shotguns and pistols, but had problems with rifles. Rachel and her also formed a fast friendship. Rachel was a very patient teacher, and Sam was learning more from her than the biotic instructors.

They were having a mock battle, no biotics, no tech. Just guns, shooting practice rounds. Sam was crouching behind cover. Her, Rachel, and one other trainee were the only ones on their team still standing. The other team was almost at full strength. She cursed slightly under her breath. Rachel was behind her, and their other team member, Jason Townsend was behind her. They both looked to Sam for direction. She motioned for Jason to stay where he was. He nodded. She looked to Rachel, and pointed to where she was crouching. Sam wanted Rachel to take her place. Rachel looked questioningly at her. "Jason's a sniper. He can shoot from back here. You're almost helpless without your biotics. Try and keep them off of him. Be his eyes. I'm going to try and sneak around the side, try and get a few shots off. Sound good?" They both nodded at her, not knowing what else to do. "Good. We'll all make it. And if it get too hot over here, don't be afraid to bail from cover." She smiled at them, and peered around the corner. She rolled into the next closest cover, sparing a quick backward glance. She saw Rachel crawling to the spot she had just left.

She pulled out her pistol, and shot off two rounds without breaking cover. _Just giving Jason some time to line up a shot... _

**BOOM.**

Cursing followed Jason's shot. _Yes!_ One down, four to go. Sam didn't stop for long though. She kept moving, close to the ground. She could barely hear the other team speaking. They were getting worried. They weren't as invincible as they thought. One of them peeked out of cover, a little too much, and Jason got another shot off. Just three more left. Sam continued around, trying to get closer, maybe even behind, the other team. When she next looked up, what she saw shocked her. One of the other team was almost at Jason. Jason was put down, but not two seconds later, Sam's bullets ripped through the other team member's shields. Rachel ducked and rolled to the other side of the field. It was two vs. two now. Sam could still hear Jason cursing. Sam tried to find the other two enemies. No movement, no sound. Then she heard Rachel's pistol go off. More cursing, Rachel laughing, then cursing. Sam chanced a break in cover, to see both Rachel and the one she shot, walking off. _Damn! Just me left..._ Sam switched to her shotgun. _I've got only one shot at this. _She rolled out of cover, quickly looking around her for the last enemy. Sam saw movement to the left of her, and quickly dived back into cover, a bullet whizzing by her helmet. Shot after shot hit the metal she was leaning against. A few moments after it stopped, she stood up, aimed her shotgun at where she thought the shots were coming from. _One shot at this._ She pulled the trigger, and the alarm rang. _Yes! Kill shot!_ Jason and Rachel ran up to her, cheering. She pulled off her helmet, and walked to the one she shot. He was pulling off his helmet as well, and stood up. He looked at Sam and scowled at her.

"Lucky shot, Shepard. Don't let it get to your head. Next time, you're mine." Randy Walton spat at her feet, and stormed off.

"Don't let him get to you, Sam. He's a sore loser." Jason patted her shoulder, and smiled.

"That was awesome!" Rachel laughed.

Sam rubbed her face. "What happened, guys?"

"Well..." Jason hung his head. "It was going good, but one of 'em snuck around us. Like you were trying to do. Got me in the shoulder before I knew what was happening."

Sam nodded. "I had a feeling they would do that. I should've told you to stay on that side, Rachel. But what happened with you?" Sam looked at Rachel.

She laughed before answering. "When you dropped the guy that got Jason, I decided it was time to move. A little to late, I saw another one. We both got hit at the same time, but I didn't realize I was hit until my omni-tool started buzzing." Rachel smiled at Sam. "No harm done, right?"

"Right. That was fun, though."

They started walking toward the drill instructor. He was pacing in front of those already assembled. He stopped pacing when the three of them fell in line. "Listen up! This was just practice! If it was real, only one of you would be alive! Serviceman Shepard, step forward." She stepped slightly in front of the others. "You were not placed in charge of your team. When your leader was eliminated, the survivors looked to you for leadership. You failed to keep the rest of your team alive, but kept yourself alive. I should give you a demerit, BUT, if you can explain to us why they failed, I'll let it go."

Sam straightened her shoulders. "Sir, it was a rookie mistake. I told Serviceman Maynard to take my place when I left her and Serviceman Townsend behind cover. Since I was moving to the left, she should have stayed to the right, guarding that side."

"Why did you tell her to move?"

Sam thought about the question for a moment. "I told Serviceman Maynard to move because before the mission began, she told me about an injury she had received to her right shoulder. I told her to move, so she could steady her aim on something. If she stayed on the right side, she would be exposed on the right side."

The drill instructor took this in. He nodded once. "That'll be all, Serviceman. No demerit, this time." Sam stepped back in line, her heart racing. "Is this true, Serviceman Maynard?"

"Yes, sir."

"Shepard jeopardized the entire mission, because of one person." The drill instructor nodded, more to himself than anyone else. "You are all dismissed for the remainder of the day." They slowly started filing out, one by one. Sam, Rachel, and Jason were the last ones to leave. Before they left, an officer walked toward the drill instructor. They shook hands, and spoke, quietly. As the three of them walked by, Sam only heard one sentence.

"She's officer material."

xXXx

Sam's biotics flared. She easily caught the box Rachel had thrown at her. She threw it back, stopping it a mere inch from Rachel's head. Sam placed it gently down at her friend's feet, grinning at her.

"Geez, Sam. I hate it when you do that!" Rachel was laughing despite her anger. "I can't believe how fast you're learning, though. Not even a year and a half, and I think you might be one of the best damn biotics here!" She sat down on the box in front of her, wiping a stray hair out of her face. Sam walked up next to her, and plopped on the ground. "Are you gonna tell me why you left Mindoir?"

Sam rested her chin on her knees, memories flooding back. She shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry, Rachel. It's still too hard." Her thoughts flew to Kayla, wondering how she was doing.

"It's ok, Sam. Remember, if you ever want to talk about it, I'm here for you." Rachel put her hand on Sam's shoulder, and squeezed gently. "We should probably put this box back, before they notice it's missing." She suddenly found her feet inches of the ground. "Sam! What are you doing? Put me down!"

Sam just laughed hysterically. "You said you wanted to put it back!"

"Samantha! This isn't funny!" Rachel couldn't stop laughing though. Sam gently put the box down, grinning at her friend. Rachel quickly jumped off the box, and swatted at Sam's arm. The box then lifted in the air, and was placed next to the other boxes. Sam stood up, smiling at Rachel. They walked back toward the bunks, but before they went inside, Rachel stopped. She turned to Sam. "We have to choose our specialization soon. I'm thinking Adept, since I cant shoot for shit." She laughed bitterly. "My dad's already gotten on my case about that more times than I can count. What about you?"

Sam thought about it for a bit. "I was looking into Vanguard. I'm good with shotguns, love the damage they can do, and according to _everyone_, my biotics are amazing. Why not combine both?"

Rachel nodded. She turned back around, and headed inside...

Only to be pushed forcibly to the side. Sam rushed inside, and barely had enough time to duck a punch. She looked to her attacker, and saw Randy seething over her. "Shepard. You're done being the favorite around here." He kicked his foot at her, catching her in the ankle. She fell to the ground and stumbled to get up.

"What is your problem?" She chanced a glance behind her, to see Rachel had hit her head on the corner of a bedpost. She was out cold. Randy took this distraction to snap kick at her knee. She howled in pain.

"What's _my _problem?" Sam scrambled away from him, trying to get up to defend herself. The throbbing in her knee started to subside, and she tried to stand up. She fell back on her hands and knees, when Randy tried to kick her again. She grabbed his foot before it connected and shoved it ack, as hard as she could. He stumbled back, and she got to her feet. "Everyone around here, all they ever talk about is you. How fucking perfect you are. I'm gonna change that, right now!" He charged at her, slamming her against the wall, the breath knocked out of her. She tried to struggle free, but he was too strong. She struck out her uninjured knee, catching him in the gut. He doubled over briefly, releasing her. She delivered an uppercut to the side of his face, and pushed him away from her.

"Maybe it's because you're stuck up? Who the hell would want anything to do with you? You're a jerk!" He snarled at her, and punched her. Her head snapped to the side, and she turned almost completely around. She spat out blood, biotics flaring. She breathed in, trying to calm herself down. _No! I will not bring biotics into this fight!_ She turned to face Randy again, just in time to see another fist headed straight for her face. She ducked, but a moment too late. His hand clipped the top of her head, and she banged her head against the wall, hard. Her vision started going fuzzy. Before she slipped into unconsciousness, she saw his face, laughing at her.

"That's right, Shepard." He spat her name. "Who's laughing now?" He walked away from her, still laughing.

xXXx

Sam woke up groggy. She tried to sit up, but was gently pushed back down. "Not so fast, young lady. That was quite a nasty hit you took to your head. I want you to rest in that bed for a few hours, while I make sure everything's alright." The doctor smiled at Sam. She sighed, and looked up at the ceiling. The door swooshed open, and Sam could hear footsteps. She tried to lift her head to see who it was, but a sharp pain flashed through her head. She groaned and put her head back on the pillow.

"Hey, Sam." It was Jason.

"Hey, Jason." Seeing Jason, but not Rachel reminded Sam what had happened. "Where's Rachel?"

"She's fine, Sam. A gash on her forehead from the metal post, but nothing major. The doctor's more worried about you than her. That bastard nearly broke your knee." Jason's hand balled up into a fist.

"Jason, calm down. I'm fine, really."

"I should've been there."

"And what would you have done?"

"Beaten him senseless."

Sam shook her head. "No. You're no good in a melee fight. And you know it." She closed her eyes briefly. "He caught me off guard. Otherwise, it would be him laying in a hospital bed." She laughed softly. "What happened to him?"

Jason grinned. "You gave him one hell of a black eye!" Sam laughd at this. "He's meeting with the drill instructor right now. He'll be lucky if they don't throw his ass out." Jason shook his head. "They probably won't though."

"Why?"

"You heard what he said. They're probably thinking that if they threw him out, it would just prove that what he was saying about you was right."

Sam sighed. "They'd be stupid to let him stay though. Think about it. He instigated it, knocked both of us out. The punishment for that will be severe."

Jason nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. I just wanted to check in on you. I'll let you rest, Sam."

"Thanks, Jason." He waved, and walked out of the room. Sam closed her eyes, intent on getting some sleep, when the door swooshed open again. A male cleared his throat, before stepping to the side of her bed.

"Serviceman Shepard?"

"Yes, that's me, sir." She looked up at him.

"My name is Captain Brooks. I am here to extend an invitation to you."

Sam raised an eyebrow at this. "An invitation? To what, sir?"

"When you finish basic training, I would like you to join my team. I'm looking for strong willed individuals, to be trained into officers. Well, set on the path at any rate." Brooks smiled at Sam. "You don't have to give me an answer right away. Think about it for a bit. When you graduate, then you can let me know. I'll let you rest for now, Shepard."

"Thank you, sir." Thankful, because her eyes were getting heavy again. The last sound she heard was him leaving the room.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This chapter just kind of flowed out of me lol. I was really tempted to just have Shepard throw Randy out of a window or something, but I think the self restraint shows something of her character. I find Renegade Shep to be badass, but that's just not how I play my Shepards lol. Especially in ME3. It broke my heart playing that Shep. Ah well. I'll try and get another chapter out soon, dear readers. And thank you for reading :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Sam was released from the hospital two days later. Her knee was still hurting, and she walked with a noticeable limp. There was a deep purple bruise on her right cheek, and it had swelled up a bit. She sat on the edge of her bed, waiting. Jason and Rachel were both with her. Rachel had a noticeable gash on the right side of her head. Jason was pacing, and Rachel was sitting next to Sam. "Everything's gonna be fine, Sam. You defended yourself." Rachel patted her hand gently.

Jason stopped and turned toward the both of them, nodding. "She's right. They won't punish you." He flashed a quick grin at Sam, then continued pacing.

"Jason, if I have nothing to worry about, why are you pacing?" Sam laughed. "I should be the one doing that."

"You can't, 'cause of your knee. So, I'm doing it for you."

"What a great friend you are." Sam smiled softly.

Rachel turned her head, and asked, "Speaking about friends, what about that girl, what was her name? Katie?"

"Kayla," Sam's voice cracked.

"Yeah, her. What's she like? You don't talk about her much. Were you guys close?" Sam could only nod. _What kind of "friend" am I? _"That's it? Just a nod?"

Sam lowered her head. "She's my... I don't even know how to describe her. When I first arrived on Earth, she was with her mom. She accepted me, made me feel welcome, when all I wanted to do was curl up and die." Sam could feel the tears welling up. "I love her." Jason stopped pacing again. Sam looked up, one tear escaping her eyes. "I haven't spoken to her since I left."

Jason put his hand on her shoulder, slowly rubbing it. "You've been busy, Sam. I'm sure she'll understand."

Sam shook her head. "I told her I would... but I haven't."

Rachel put her head on Sam's other shoulder. "It's ok, Sam. She'll get over it. No one could stay mad at you forever."

"Except Randy," Jason added bitterly. "Wonder what's gonna happen with him?"

"Kick his ass out, I say." Rachel laughed.

Sam smiled bitterly. She was about to say something, when an officer walked into the room. All three of them shot to attention. "At ease. Serviceman Samantha Shepard?" She stepped slightly forward. "Come with me." The officer turned, and left the room, Sam following after him.

xXXx

"Serviceman Shepard, it has come to the board's attention that you were involved in a physical altercation. Is this correct?" The board consisted of five different officers. The woman speaking was seated in the middle.

"Yes, ma'am."

"It was between you, and Serviceman Randall Walton, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am." Sam's heart was pounding in her ears.

"The other board members and I have been trying to come to a peaceful solution to this problem. We'd like to hear your side before coming to a decision. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Sam breathed in deeply before answering. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Captain Brooks standing there, listening carefully to what she was going to say. "Sir, Walton pushed Serviceman Maynard out of the way, when we were returning to the bunkhouse."

"Why were you and Serviceman Maynard out of the bunkhouse?"

"She was helping me train." Sam's eyes dropped slowly. _Biotic use outside of training, punishable offense._

"Train what, Shepard?"

"Biotics, ma'am." Sam let her head drop slightly, before straightening up and looking at the board.

The chairwoman scribbled something down before saying anything. "What happened next?" Sam explained everything, slightly shifting her weight to her unhurt leg. If she was able to, she would be wringing her hands. The chairwoman nodded. "Captain Brooks? Could you see Serviceman Shepard out? We'll discuss our decision now."

Brooks snapped a smart salute, and walked toward the door. Sam also saluted, and followed Brooks out of the door. Closing the door behind her, Sam exhaled sharply. _What have I gotten myself into?_ Brooks turned around to face Sam, and she got a better look at him. He had close-cut dark brown hair, turning gray at the temples and light brown eyes. He was smiling at her. "Don't be so nervous, Shepard."

She straightened up. "Sir?"

"You'll be fine. Yes, you snuck out to practice your biotics, but with boxes, in a somewhat controlled environment. And," he pointed to her head before continuing, "you exerted self-restraint. If you had used your biotics, you might have hurt Walton, if not outright killed him. Biotics can do a lot of damage in a highly emotional state." He absently rubbed the back of his neck.

Sam nodded. "Thank you for the vote of confidence, sir. Permission to speak freely?"

"Granted."

"Sir, why is the punishment even up for debate? Randy instigated it. I should get a week of cleaning the toilets, but him?" She sighed.

Brooks looked at her. "Shepard, I probably shouldn't even tell you this, but I'm going to. If only to prevent you from taking this so hard. Walton's parents are... very influential people. So, I doubt that they'll be able to do the _right_ thing in this instance."

"Sir?" _I don't think I like the way this is going..._

"Samantha, what I'm trying to say is, I think they're going to kick you out." Brooks put his hand lightly on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Sam was shocked to hear this. "B-but..." Sam tried to take a step back, but was stopped by the door behind her. At that moment, the worst possible person walked around the corner. Randy, waiting for the same decision as her.

"Shepard." Jason was right. His right eye was completely swollen shut.

"Walton." Randy stopped a few steps away from her, and saluted Brooks. "Captain." Brooks saluted back. Sam limped away from the door, lost in her thoughts. _What am I gonna do? Where am I gonna go?_ She was on the verge of tears. _Suck it up, Shepard! You can get through this!_ Randy smirked at Sam, he knew what would happen. Sam couldn't get her heart to stop hammering.

xXXx

It only took the board an hour and a half to reach a decision. Brooks led Sam and Randy back into the room. He stood in between both of them, and saluted. They both followed suit.

"At ease. We have come to a decision. This was not an easy choice to make. Serviceman Walton, you are hereby stripped of your recruit status, for injuring two of your fellow trainees." Randy was visibly shocked at the news. "You will be able to apply again after a year." The chairwoman looked Sam directly in her eyes. _Is that, sympathy?_ Her already overworked heart sped up a little. "Serviceman Shepard, you are hereby transferred to the Recruit Training Depot in Macapá, Brazil, effective immediately." _Wait, they didn't kick me out? But why?_ "Any objections?"

"Ma'am, why are you kicking me out?" Randy's hands were balled into fists.

"Walton, you injured to other trainees, knocking both of them out. Biotics, whose head injuries may have been more severe than they were. We cannot have this kind of behavior here, no matter who your parents are." She sighed. "Maybe after a year, you will have matured more. We will welcome you back with open arms." Sam had to bite back the urge to scoff. "Serviceman Shepard, we decided to transfer you as a lesson. Practicing biotics without an instructor can be a dangerous thing. Don't think of this as so much of a punishment, but as an opportunity. The officers at Macapá will offer you the best training possible." Sam could hear Randy's heavy breathing. He was raging. _Thank goodness he's not a biotic._ "Is there anything else?"

Randy had nothing else to say. Sam just said, "Thank you, sirs."

The chairwoman nodded. "Dismissed." Randy didn't even wait for Brooks, and stormed out. Sam saluted the board, and followed Brooks once again, heavy hearted.

xXXx

When Sam returned to the bunkhouse, Jason and Rachel were sitting on her bed, talking. Jason saw her first, and jumped off the bed. "Randy just stormed in here. He looked pissed!" Jason was grinning.

Rachel got off the bed and looked at Sam. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"I..." Sam swallowed before continuing. "They transferred me to another facility." She looked at her friends in sadness. "In Brazil." She let her shoulders droop a bit.

"Oh no, Sam, I'm sorry." Rachel hugged her. Jason looked behind him, at Randy, who was angrily throwing his things into his duffel bag. He walked to Rachel and Sam and hugged them both.

Sam, comforted by her friends, let the tears flow. When she finally stopped crying, she looked up, smiling. "Thanks, guys."

"That's what friends are for, Sam." Rachel was smiling back at her.

Jason looked behind them again. "What's his problem?"

"They kicked him out. He can't reapply until next year." Sam shrugged. "I hope they don't take him back. I'm afraid of what might happen if they do." She shuddered with the thought.

"Revenge?"

"Knowing him, probably." Sam looked to her bed. "I should probably pack my stuff up too. The transfer's 'effective immediately'." She sighed, and walked to the trunk. She started folding her clothes, neatly, when she got to the picture of Kayla. Sam crumbled on the floor, running a finger over the picture. Rachel and Jason came up behind her and looked down.

"Is that Kayla?" Rachel asked. Sam just nodded. "She's pretty."

"Thank you," Sam croaked out. "I have to write her, tell her I'm leaving." Sam got up, and her knee gave out. "Damnit!"

"You ok, Sam?" asked Jason, concern in his voice. He held out his hand, and helped her to her feet.

"Yeah, Jason. I'm fine. Stupid knee..." She sat on the bed, rubbing her knee. Sam flicked on her omni-tool, and started writing her letter.

_Subject: Transfer_

_Kayla-_

_I'm writing to tell you that I'm being transferred to an Alliance facility in Brazil. I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch with you. I feel like I'm breaking a promise to you, and I hate it. You mean so much to me. I'm no good at this. When I finish Basic in three months, I'll come back. And I'll try to keep in better contact._

_How are you doing? And your mom? I've been told Macapá, the facility I'm going to, offers better training than here in Vancouver. It's also warmer, that's a plus. Mindoir didn't get much snow. Too cold here. I made some friends, Jason and Rachel. You'd like them, easy to get along with. But Jason's a little too overprotective. I'll send you a picture of the three of us._

_Take care of yourself, Kayla. I miss you._

_Love,_

_Sam _

xXXX

Kayla's computer beeped, indicating new mail. She opened it, seeing that it was from Sam. _She didn't forget about me!_ Kayla's mood immediately brightened, Emily could see it, but she asked anyway. "Who's it from, sweetie?"

"Sam!"

"What's it say?"

Kayla read it quickly. "She's being transferred to Brazil, but she doesn't say why. Oh! And she made friends, and sent a picture of the three of them!" Kayla opened the attachment, and it was like someone turned the light out inside her. She sunk into the chair. "She looks so happy, but..."

"But what?" Emily walked behind her daughter, and glanced at the picture. "Oh my... What happened to her?" Sam had taken the picture before sending the email.

"It doesn't say, but it can't be too bad, right?" Kayla looked at Emily. Emily could see the tears forming in Kayla's eye.

"Right, sweetie. She's smiling, so that means she's happy." What Emily really saw, she kept to herself. _Her eyes, she's hurting, sad. Oh, Sam. I wish I had more time with you._ "You should write back to her, after dinner."

Kayla nodded. She saved the picture, and sighed. _I love you too, Sam._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This chapter's a bit shorter than my others. Sorry about that. Sam got transferred because I was reading the Mass Effect wiki. Apparently Ashley and Shepard both went to the same training facility. Oops! It's mentioned in ME1. That's what I get for not doing more research lol. And guys, don't be afraid to review. I don't have a Beta, so any comments/questions/concerns you have, I'd be grateful to hear them. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Sam exited the shuttle, and was immediately blasted by warm air. It reminded her of Mindoir. When she boarded the shuttle a few hours ago, it was cool and windy. Sighing lightly, she walked toward the officer who was waving her over.

"Serviceman Shepard?"

"Yes, sir." She saluted the man.

"Follow me, Shepard. I'll show you to the bunkhouse." He walked away, Sam following behind. The differences between Macapá and Vancouver were astounding. There were skyscrapers everywhere in Canada, but here, the were barely any. Canada had parks, but Macapá has the real thing. It was like coming home.

xXXx

She settled in fairly quickly. The facility was almost a replica of the one in Vancouver. Sam was glad for that. It made it easier to find everything. She was making leaps and bounds in her biotics training, all thanks to her training sessions with Rachel. She had also started specialized training with weapons. To Sam, it seemed that the last half of Basic flew by. She didn't really make any friends, or enemies, but she didn't mind. Keeping to herself, she seemed to learn faster.

The last day of Basic came. As she was packing her things up once again, Captain Brooks entered the bunkhouse. Sam saw him out of the corner of her eye. She stopped what she was doing, turned to face him, and saluted.

"At ease, Serviceman." He walked over to her, a corner of his mouth creeping up. "What is your decision?"

"I wish to take you up on your offer, sir."

"Good decision, Shepard." He nodded at her. "You can continue packing." Sam saluted and turned around. She put all of her things in her duffel bag, careful not to wrinkle anything. She turned back around to face him, standing at attention. He smiled slightly, and nodded. "Good. I'll get everything in order. Lot's of paperwork and such before we can welcome you aboard the Antietam. But I believe you have some leave before then. Anywhere in specific you wanted to go?"

Sam didn't even think before answering. "Yes, sir. The New York base, sir. I have... family there." Brooks raised his eyebrow slightly. Sam saw this and answered the unspoken question. "Adopted family you could say, sir."

Brooks nodded. "Alright, Shepard." He lightly touched the comm unit on his ear. "Brooks to transport. I need a shuttle to New York." He was nodding slightly to himself. "I understand, Carter, but this is for our newest crew member." More waiting. "Carter, it will take you at most two hours, and we have to go there anyway." Brooks raised his other hand to his face. "Don't make me bring up insubordination charges, Lieutenant. I hear those can be bad for your career." Brooks smiled at Sam. "Good boy. Brooks out." He lowered both hands. "That was Lieutenant Adam Carter. He enjoys busting my ass, a little too much if you ask me. He's our shuttle pilot. Good kid, bit of a hot head though." He motioned for her to follow him, as he walked out of the bunkhouse.

Sam quickly grabbed her things, and followed behind him. "Sir, are all of your subordinates like him?" She regretted asking the question as soon as it was out of her mouth. "Sir, I..." She tried to apologize.

He waved her apology off. "It's ok, Shepard. And no, not all of them are like that. I run a tight, but loose ship. If that makes sense."

"Not really, sir."

Brooks stopped and faced her. "Let me try to explain then. The Antietam, like all Alliance ships, has rules and regulations. No fraternization, respect those of higher rank and experience, things like that. But, when you and your crew spend months together, I fully expect there to be camraderie forming. Friendships, harmless rivalries, those are the kind of things that help a crew to become closer. And hopefully make it less likely that there will be a mutiny." He clasped her shoulder gently. "Other captains may run their ships with a heavy hand. And don't get me wrong, that works too, but not as well, I feel." Sam nodded her understanding. Brooks resumed his walking, with Sam following behind.

"Sir, what do other captains feel about your leadership, then?"

"It's a mixed bag. Rear Admiral Hackett believes the same way. I served with him when I was first starting out. That's where I got the idea. It gets things done." They continued along in silence. When they arrived at the shuttle, Sam's heart jumped just a little.

"Sir?"

"Yes, Shepard?"

"I... nothing, sir." _I'll surprise them._ Brooks raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. He motioned toward the shuttle, indicating he wanted her to board first. She saluted him, then proceeded to walk up the ramp. She found a seat, and flopped down. Brooks sat down across from her.

He looked at her closely, so much different than when he first met her. The cuts and bruises had faded, leaving nothing behind. He could see something in her eyes, a fire, but something behind that as well. Brooks went over her personnel files multiple times since he received them. He liked what he saw, a fast track to Officer Candidate School, just needed some more discipline. But when he looked at her now, she seemed so small.

Sam felt his eyes on her, so she smiled at him. She turned to look out of the window, idly playing with a loose strand of hair. She looked down at her wrist, wondering if she should contact Kayla. Sighing slightly, she flicked on her omnitool.

**LostShepard: Kayla, you there?**

A minute passed before Sam received an answer.

**SecretKay: OMG! Sam! How are you?**

**LostShepard: Pretty good, you?**

**SK: Better now. What's going on?**

**LS: I graduated today. I've got a few days leave. So, I've decided to come visit. Is that ok?**

A few more minutes passed before Sam got an answer.

**SK: Sorry about the wait, Sam. Mom says she can't wait to see you. When'll you get here?**

**LS: I should be there in about an hour.**

**SK: Awesome! See ya soon, Sam!**

**LS: See you.**

Sam felt the corner of her mouth tug upward. Brooks was looking at her. "I was just letting them know I was coming... home." He smiled at her and patted her knee. She grinned at him and looked back out of the window.

Brooks removed his hand, and looked out of the window as well. "So tell me, Shepard. What are you hoping to get out of your time with the Alliance?" Sam turned from the window and looked at him. "Do you want revenge?" She stared at him, wide-eyed. "Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course. I'm asking so I can help you better. Your superiors both in Brazil and Canada feel you're officer material. I just want to make sure that if you go through with it, you won't be sending your troops needlessly to their deaths." He shifted in his seat a bit. "So, what do you want?"

Sam bit her lower lip in thought. _I haven't been asked that for a long time._ "I want to help people, sir. Whether or not they've faced what I have. I want to show the galaxy that humans belong here, that we're ready for this. That we can overcome anything thrown our way. And that we're survivors." She paused a moment. "I refuse to take the easy way out, though. If my superiors believe I can be an officer, then I won't let them down. I don't have the experience as someone like you, but I'm a fast learner. My biotics instructor in Brazil was pleased with how fast I learned to control my biotics. I observed everything that was happening around me, put the things I saw to use. Taught myself, with the help of Rachel, of course. But I'm not afraid to ask for help when I need it." Sam looked at her hands. "I'll try my damned hardest to not let another Mindoir happen, to anyone."

Brooks didn't know how to respond to her. He looked at her, bunching one hand into a fist, the other resting on top of it. He leaned forward, and put his hand on top of hers. She looked at him, tears in her eyes. "Sam... I don't know what to say. But I do know this. No matter what you do, you'll be great at it. You have the passion, and the determination to make it happen. With the right training, I think you'll make an exceptional officer." He smiled at her. Taking his hand back, he stretched.

_"Ladies and gentleman, this is your pilot speaking. We're approaching New York. So this means, all of you are getting off this flying brick. I hope you enjoyed your time with Air Carter."_

Brooks laughed, and Sam just looked shocked. "Carter?"

_"Yes, sir?"_

"Thank you."

_"Anytime, sir. Oh, and Shepard, welcome to the crew. I think you'll fit in nicely around here. Not many people can make the Captain speechless."_

Sam laughed at this. "Thanks, Lieutenant."

_"It's Carter, Shepard."_

Carter pulled the shuttle in, and landed without so much as a bump. Sam gathered her things and looked expectantly at Brooks. He nodded to her, and she leaped out of her chair. Once the door opened, she ran out. Brooks followed silently after her. Sam was greated by two people, he could only assume this was her 'family'. He smiled to himself, before he felt a hand clasp his shoulder. He turned to see Carter grinning. "That was some damned fine piloting, if I do say so myself." Carter looked at the three women. "Sam's the one with the red hair, right?" Brooks nodded. "Good speeches, that one. I'd follow her to hell if I had to. Not that I wouldn't follow you too, sir."

"Hah! I bet you would, Carter. You're right though. There's something about her, I can't quite put my finger on it though. Shall we go? I've got a shitload of paperwork to go through."

"When don't you?" Carter grinned at him again, and walked down the ramp. Brooks followed behind him, smiling to himself.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry for the wait. Writer's block strikes again! I sat down to write this I don't even know how many times. Nothing was coming to me though. Ah well, I finally got it down though. I'll hopefully have the next chapter up soon.**


	7. Chapter 7

When the hugs were done, Sam looked at Kayla and Emily. Emily looked behind them, and saw Brooks and Carter exiting the shuttle. "Well, I should probably go and pick something up for dinner. I'll meet you both back at the apartment, just don't take too long, ok?"

"Ok, mom." Kayla was smiling at Sam. "Let's go for a walk, Sam." She grabbed Sam's hand and led her away.

"What about my bag, Kayla?"

Emily laughed. "I'll get it, Sam. It'll be in your old room."

"Thank you!" Sam had to start jogging to keep up with Kayla.

xXXx

Kayla finally stopped at the park they used to go to. Sam breathed in deeply, and squeezed Kayla's hand slightly. "I'm glad you like it, Sam."

"Of course I do. You're here." She pulled Kayla close to her, and held her close. Whispering into her hair, she said, "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." Kayla stepped back a bit. "I'm sorry."

Sam was confused, and let it show on her face. "About what?"

"When you left. How I didn't say goodbye, and walked away." Kayla let her head drop. "I felt terrible about it. I didn't want you to be mad at me."

Sam laughed a little. "Oh, Kayla! I'm not mad, and I wasn't then. I understand how hard it is... to say goodbye." Sam raised Kayla's head. "But I came back, just like I said." She kissed Kayla lightly. Kayla flung her hands around Sam's neck, and deepened the kiss. Sam held her close, not wanting this to end, but knowing, somewhere, that it would eventually. She pulled back slightly, eyes smiling at her. "So, what's new with you?"

Kayla grinned from ear to ear. "I started volunteering at the Alliance hospital. Um, candy striping, that's what it's called."

"What?"

"Yea, they used to call us 'candy stripers'. I looked it up on the extranet. They used to wear these godawful looking dresses, red and white stripes. Looked like candy." She laughed. "Thankfully, I don't have to wear it."

Sam laughed at the mental image that produced. "Yea, I don't think it would look good on you. How do you like it?"

Kayla's smile grew even wider. "I LOVE it! I'm learning so much! I think I'm going to join the Alliance as a medical officer. I know it's different on the field, but I'll be able to help soldiers. And who knows?" She shrugged. "Maybe one day I'll save you. Then, you'd owe me one, right?"

Sam chuckled. "I would, you're right." Kayla nodded and looked back up at her. Sam kissed her again. "But hopefully, I won't get hurt. That would be much better, don't you think?"

Kayla laughed this time. "You're right." She looked behind her, and saw a bench. She sat down, and motioned for Sam to join her. Sam turned, and almost fell on the ground. _Stupid knee._ "Sam! Are you ok?" Kayla jumped off of the bench.

"I'm fine." Kayla helped Sam steady herself. Sam limped toward the bench and sat down, keeping her leg straight out.

"What happened?"

"Remember that photo I sent you?" Kayla nodded. "That was taken a few days after I got into a fight." Kayla gasped, and put a hand on Sam's leg. "It's ok, Kayla. I just really messed up my knee. I lived, no worse for wear." Sam smiled at her, and brushed her hand against Kayla's cheek. Kayla caught her hand, and brought it down to her lap, holding tightly. She looked down at Sam's extended leg.

"Have you tried staying off of it?"

"How can I? They don't exactly let us have too much free time in Basic." Sam gently removed her hand from Kayla's. She ran her now free hand through her hair. "I rested when I could, which is to say, not that often."

Kayla nodded. "Sorry, that was a stupid question."

Sam laughed, and Kayla looked mortified. This caused Sam to laugh even harder. When she could finally catch her breath, she spoke. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. It's just hard for me to even imagine free time. And yet, here I am." Sam rubbed her hand up and down Kayla's back. "Thanks for making me laugh, even if it was unintentional." She kissed Kayla's hair. _Smells like lavender. I'd almost forgotten what real shampoo smelled like._

Kayla ran her hands through Sam's hair. "I liked your hair when it was longer."

"Me too." She unconsciously ran her hand through her hair again. "I also miss real shampoo." Kayla laughed a bit. She put her hand against Kayla's neck, and pulled her close, kissing her again. Kayla opened her mouth slightly, and rubbed her tongue against Sam's lips. Sam opened her mouth, and allowed Kayla's tongue to slip in. A groan escaped Sam's throat. Her tongue found Kayla's, and wrestled with it. Kayla's hand slipped up Sam's back, to her neck. Sam took her free hand, and caressed Kayla's face. She moved the hand on Kayla's neck to her shoulder, then down to her arm. Kayla's hand tightened on Sam's neck. Sam broke the kiss, breathless. She was smiling hazily at Kayla, who was also smiling. "I really missed you."

"I can tell." She kissed Sam's cheek. "We should head back to the apartment. Mom's probably back with food by now. Can you walk?"

Sam stood up slowly, Kayla watching her every move. She tested her knee, and didn't buckle over. "I should be fine, if we take it slower this time." Sam reached out for Kayla's hand, and they slowly walked back to the apartment building.

xXXx

Emily had gotten dinner together when they got there. "It's about time you two came back." She had a smile on her face. "Come on, let's eat. I'm sure it's been a while since you ate real food, Sam." Sam nodded enthusiastically, with a smile on her face as well.

They sat down. "Everything smells so good, Emily."

Emily smiled. "Thank you, Sam. Chicken carbonara. I hope you like it."

Sam dug in without a second glance. "Mmm, so good. I missed your cooking." She grinned.

"You have a little something..." Kayla was pointing to corner of her mouth. Sam quickly wiped it off. "Good, got it."

"So, tell me. How are you liking it so far?" asked Emily.

Sam swallowed her food before answering. "I'm enjoying it well enough. I've already been invited to serve on the SSV Antietam." She paused, dipping some bread into her sauce. "The captain thinks I'll make a good officer some day."

Emily nodded, and took a sip of her red wine. "I know the captain, Brooks, right?" Sam nodded. "He's a good man. He'll be able to set you on the right track." She paused, lost in thought. "It's a little unusual though."

"What is?"

"Well, the Alliance doesn't normally fast track recruits like this. They usually make sure they have some kind of experience first. Training drills, while effective, don't give the experience needed. And you didn't go to OCS, so I'm not sure what to make of this." Emily waved her hand, dismissing the conversation. "Who am I to question them, though? It's been years since I was on a ship." She snorted a laugh. "Do you know how long you'll be staying with us?"

"I'm not sure. The captain needed to get my paperwork in order. He'll let me know when we're ready to go, I guess."

"It'll be a few days, at least. Any plans yet, girls?"

Kayla answered before Sam could even blink. "Not yet, mom." She grinned at Sam. "But we'll think of something!"

They finished dinner, and cleaned up. Sam was exhausted, and excused herself. She walked the familiar route to her room, and walked in the door. Everything was like she left it. She smiled to herself, and sat on her bed. She stretched, and yawned once more. There was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in."

Kayla walked in slowly. "Sam? You ok?"

Sam nodded and smiled softly. "Come here." She patted the bed next to her. "Just a little tired."

Kayla crossed the room and sat down. "Mom sent me to check on you. She saw you limping. Still bothering you?"

"Yea, a little. It comes and goes. Hopefully I can stay off it more now. Until I leave, at any rate."

"Sit back, then. Put your feet up." Sam leaned against her pillows, putting her feet on Kayla's lap. Kayla lifted Sam's pant leg up, examining her knee. "Hmm, looks a little swollen. I'm sorry about making you run before." She closed her eyes.

"Hey, it's ok. You didn't know." Sam leaned forward a bit, putting her hand on Kayla's.

Kayla looked at Sam, and then back down at her knee. "I'll go and get some ice for it. I'll be right back." Sam pulled her legs back, allowing Kayla to stand. She left the room, and closed the door behind her. Sam smiled again, eyes growing heavy. She sighed softly, and started to fall asleep.

Kayla came back in a few minutes later. "Sam?" she whsipered. She saw Sam sleeping, and creeped to the bed. She pulled the blankets over Sam, and bent down. "Good night, Sam." She kissed her forehead, and walked to the door. Shutting off the light, she walked out of the room.

xXXx

Sam settled back into her old room comfortably. It was her second day on leave, and she was up at the crack of dawn. She knew no one else was awake. Sam decided to go for a jog. Changing into her Alliance sweatpants and a loose tee shirt, she exited the room. She stretched her legs in the hallway, and was surprised to hear voices. She moved toward the room they were coming from.

"Dr. Philips, I see you still keep Navy time." _Captain Brooks?_ Sam slowly walked toward the open door, and peeked in.

"Captain Brooks, it's been too long." Emily hugged Brooks. "How have you been, Josh?"

"Good, and you, Emily?"

"As well as I can be. Kayla's been a big help with that." Sam thought that Emily looked a little sad. "What brings you here?"

"Samantha, actually. Well, that and paperwork. I'm getting ready to have her transferred to the Antietam."

Emily nodded slowly. "It'll be good for her. She's come so far since she arrived here after Mindoir."

"I read her files. I know all about it. She keeps quiet about it though, doesn't she?"

Emily sighed, raking a hand through her hair. "It took me almost a full year to get her to talk about it. Then this... asshole almost put her right back into her silence." Emily's hand balled up into a fist.

Brooks put his hand on her shoulder. "But without him, we may never have found out that she was biotic."

Emily nodded and relaxed a bit. "You're right, Josh. It just makes me so angry. She's such a wonderful person." Emily walked away from Brooks.

"She is. She's not letting this get to her. I wish I had her resolve."

"Is it resolve? Or is she walling it up? Sometimes I wish she would break down, just let it all out. It might be good for her."

"You think so?"

Emily just shrugged. "I'm at a loss with her. She was keeping a journal while she was here, it seemed to help. Maybe she should continue." Emily looked at Brooks. "What happened to her?"

"What?"

"Three months ago, she sent Kayla an email and a photo. It looked like she got the shit beat out of her. Is this how we're training new recruits now?"

Brooks laughed and shook his head. "Not at all, Em. Not much has changed since we went through." He smiled at her. "She did get into a fight though. A... privileged kid was angry, lashing out. At her, mostly. He was angry at her, mainly for her abilities. He felt she was being treated as a favorite. One night, she and a friend were returning to the bunks, when he attacked. The other girl got knocked out immediately. Sam fought back, without using her biotics. He beat her, knocked her unconscious, but not without getting hurt himself."

Emily nodded. "Sounds like her. It's good to know she can control herself."

"She'll make a fine officer one day. Well, I've taken up enough of your time, Emily. It was good to see you again. Steven should be slapped, letting you go." He grinned at her.

"Oh you!" She smiled at him. "You wouldn't _actually_ slap him though, would you?"

"Of course not. I respect him too much. But I really must be going." He turned toward the door, and Sam had to roll away from it to avoid being seen.

"Goodbye, Josh."

Brooks walked out of the door, and saw Sam out of the corner of his eye. She was smoothing down her hair and clothes. She saw him, and saluted. "Shepard, you're up early."

"Yes, sir. I was just about to go for a jog. Get some fresh air."

"Go ahead, Shepard." He looked at her, through her it seemed. _How much does he know I heard?_ She nodded, and left the building.

xXXx

Her jog took her past a hospital. It was an older looking building, maybe from before they reached the stars. Parts of it were being repaired. Sam stopped at some stairs, and sat down. She looked across the street, at a park. Visitors passed her, going in and out of the hospital. Looking down the street, she saw a familiar face. It was Kayla.

"Sam! There you are!" Kayla smiled cheerfully.

"Hey, Kayla. Come here." Sam stood up, and hugged her. "Thanks."

Kayla was confused. "For what?"

"The blankets." Sam smiled at her. "You kinda woke me up."

"Oh no!" She looked horrified.

Sam laughed. "It's ok. I went right back to sleep."

Kayla shook her head. "Wait, what are you doing here?"

"I woke up early, and decided to go jogging. Is this where you volunteer?" She gestured at the hospital behind them.

"Yea. It's beautiful, isn't it?" Sam nodded. Kayla grinned, but it slowly faded. "Wait, you _jogged_ here? What about your knee?"

"It feels a lot better today. I guess resting doesn't come easy to me anymore." She patted Kayla's shoulder. "Well, I should get back, let you get to work."

Kayla nodded. "I'll see you back home." She pecked Sam's cheek. Sam hugged her, and started jogging back to the apartment.


	8. Chapter 8

Sam's last few days of leave went by without a hitch. She was reluctant to leave again, but eager to begin her first Alliance tour. Kayla was taking her leaving better this time around.

"You'll be back again, right?"

"Of course." Sam was holding Kayla close. "As soon as I can. It should be easier for me to keep in contact with you, too."

Kayla nodded slightly and looked up at Sam. "I'm gonna miss you."

Sam kissed her forehead. "I'll miss you too, Kayla." She squeezed Kayla closer, not wanting to let go. She eventually broke the contact and stepped back. She breathed in deeply and bent down to pick up her duffel bag. She turned and hugged Emily goodbye. She then turned around, and headed up the ramp. Turning around one last time, she waved, and walked into the shuttle. Brooks was already seated, and looking at her.

"Ready to leave, Shepard?" She nodded briskly, and took the seat across from him. "Carter, we're ready to leave when you are."

_"Of course you are, sir. I'll have us back in space in no time!"_ The shuttle lurched slightly, and started moving slowly. Sam looked out of the window, savoring the last view she had of Kayla. _"Hold onto your hats, ladies and gentlemen! We're now leaving Earth!"_ Sam felt the change in the shuttle. The shuttle sped up, and she saw the change in the atmosphere.

"You never get tired of seeing that." Brooks' voice made her jump slightly. He laughed. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

She shook her head slightly, sending some stray hair into her face. "I was just so wrapped up in the window, sir. Sorry. I didn't really pay any attention to the ship when I left Mindoir. So this is really my first time experiencing it." She looked down at the fists bunched up in her lap.

He patted her hands softly. "It's alright. I would say I understand, but I don't think I could." He withdrew his hand, and looked out of the window. "We should be coming up on the ship soon." He gestured toward the window, which she looked out of. "It's a breathtaking view as well."

That's when she first caught glimpse of it. "Oh my... It's beautiful!" She leaned forward in her chair, trying to get closer. "It's huge!" As they got closer, her eyes got wider. Brooks just sat back, and smiled at the expression on her face.

_"There she is! The SSV Antietam, the finest frigate in the fleet! But only because yours truly serves on it."_ Sam laughed at this.

"Don't mind her captain, or anything."

_"Oh yea, the captain's cool too."_ Sam laughed even harder.

xXXx

They got off of the shuttle, and were greeted by a tall, tan woman. Her eyes were a bright green, and her black hair was pulled tight into a bun. "Captain Brooks, Lieutenant Carter, welcome back." She nodded at the two men. Turning to Sam, she smiled softly. "You must be Serviceman Samantha Shepard. I am Staff Commander Talia Prescott, XO of the Antietam. Welcome aboard, Serviceman."

Sam saluted before answering. "Thank you, ma'am."

Talia smiled, and extended her hand. Sam took it and they shook hands. "You're welcome. Let's get you settled in." She turned around, Sam following closely behind. "Fresh out of Basic, huh?" Sam nodded. "Good. Your first posting will always stay with you. If you live through it, that is." Talia winked at Sam. Sam felt her stomach drop. "I'm sure you'll do fine though. The captain forewarded me your files. You grasp new concepts quickly, and control your temper well. That can't be said for a lot of FNGs." They entered an elevator and Talia pushed a button. "We'll get you settled into the crew's quarters first, then I'll give you a quick tour of the ship." They rode in silence, and got off on deck five. "If you'll follow me, Serviceman." Talia strode into the hallway, and into a room. She waved her hand. "This is were you will be sleeping. There's a few empty pods, just pick one and put your things in one of the empty lockers." Sam did as she was told, and quickly returned to the commander. Talia was nodding at her. "Good. That was fast." She patted Sam's shoulder. She turned back around. "Let's continue with the tour."

xXXx

The last stop was the mess hall. Which was a good thing, as Sam's stomach started rumbling. Talia turned to face Sam. "The food's ok, it's not five star dining or anything, but you get used to it. Grab some chow, and find a seat. Try and get to know some of these guys. You'll be serving with us for a while." One corner of her mouth twitched up. "They can be a little intimidating at first, but they're generally ok. You could learn a lot from them. Dismissed." Sam walked to the line that was forming. Two people were talking in front of her.

"A new guy? Really? I think we have more than enough people on this boat!"

"I think it's great!"

"Of course you do, Ramirez. It's a girl."

The man named Ramirez punched the other one's arm. "Very funny, Templeton. I just think we need some new blood. I hear she's really capable."

"At what? She just got out of Basic. What kind of _real_ training does she have?" They stepped further up the line, but Sam didn't want to follow them. She hung her head and sighed. She felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned around quickly.

"Hey, it's ok. I didn't mean to startle you." He was smiling at her. "You must be Shepard, right?" She nodded at him. "My name's Maximilian Scarborough. I know, quite a mouthful. Most people just call me Max though." He grinned and offered his hand. She shook it.

"Samantha Shepard. Friends call me Sam. Nice to meet you."

He walked up alongside of her. "Don't let them get to you," he said, gesturing toward Ramirez and Templeton. "They're assholes, and everyone knows it." He flashed a grin at her. She nodded slowly. "So, this is your first tour, huh?"

"Yea. I'm pretty nervous actually."

"Don't be. You'll be fine. The captain's pretty good at recruiting capable people. When he has a choice in the matter, of course." The line moved up slowly, bringing them closer to the food. "The crap they serve here is only slightly better than Basic grub. Not much." It all smelled the same to Sam though. She helped herself to a big plate. Max just looked at her. "Biotic?"

She looked down at her plate, then over to his smaller plate, and nodded. "Is that a problem?" She was a little nervous to find out his answer.

He laughed. "Nah, it's cool. I just wanted to make sure. It was either that, or you have one hell of a metabolism." He grinned at her again, and she felt her shoulders ease a bit. _Yea, I think I'll fit in just fine around here._

xXXx

Her first real day on the ship started out almost like Basic. Wake up, make her bed, get dressed, get breakfast. That's when Talia found her. They saluted each other, and Talia nodded. "Serviceman, good. I was just about to go and find you."

"Is everything alright?" Sam was a little apprehensive.

"Oh yes. We just need to set up a training schedule for you." Talia motioned for Sam to follow her. They walked over to a terminal, and Sam saw that her personal file was pulled up. Talia leaned over and tapped the table, looking intently at the screen. "Hmm, no zero-grav training, or HEAT." She turned her head slightly to Sam, seeing her confused look. "Hostile Environment Assault Training, but you can get that in the field. Zero-grav might be more of a problem, though." She pushed herself up, and brought a hand to her forehead, shaking it slightly. "I really wish the Captain would do some research _before_ recruiting people." She sighed, and typed something on the keyboard. Sam saw the screen flash, and Talia nodded curtly. "Here we go." She turned to face Sam, who quickly stood to attention. "Serviceman Shepard, you seem to be extremely lucky. There's some simulations we can have you run through here, on the ship. It's not quite the same as the real thing, but it will make do for now." She quickly made her way to the elevator, Sam following silently behind. Talia pressed a button, and the doors closed.

"There's a combat simulator on the ship, ma'am?"

"Yes, Shepard, there is." She smiled softly before continuing. "It's state of the art, and comes loaded with everything we'll need." The elevator stopped, and the doors opened with a slight ping. Talia stepped briskly out of the elevator, and headed down the hall. She entered a dark room, and flicked the lights on. Sam looked around the mostly bare room. There were some terminals setup in one corner, but in the middle was the combat simulator. A chair with a wrap-around monitor. Talia walked over to the terminals, and grabbed a helmet. "Here, put this on." She threw the helmet at Sam, who caught it easily. She turned it around in her hands, feeling the weight of it. _This thing must get heavy on your head after a while._ It appeared to be just a plain, black helmet, until she put it on her head. She could still make out the room, but everything appeared to have a green tinge to it. "Go sit in the chair. I'll get this thing started up." Sam cautiously walked toward the chair, the helmet heavier than what she was used to. It was throwing of her balance a bit. She climbed into the chair, and sat back, looking up at the monitor. The screen flickered to life, and her surroundings changed.

She found herself in what looked like the blackness of space. Everywhere she looked there were stars. "Wow." She hadn't even realized the word had escaped her mouth.

"It is amazing, isn't it?" Talia's voice seemed far away. "Just give me a moment to set something up for you." Sam took this opportunity to try and move around. She tried swimming, like she did during the summers on Mindoir. _The breaststroke is getting me nowhere quick._ She heard Talia's laugh echo around her. "It's almost like swimming, but with no water to offer resistance, it's slightly different. You'll have to work on your technique, Shepard. But you'll get it." Sam shook her head slightly, almost turning herself completely around. She took a deep breath, and tried 'swimming' again, kicking her feet slightly. She went much farther than she had wanted to. _Ok, less kicking then?_ She kicked one foot out slightly, and only moved a little bit. "Good. That's good. It usually takes a lot longer for people to get used to moving around. Probably because most people don't know how to swim very well." The scenery changed again, and Sam found herself standing on a dark gray, metal surface. She could still see stars around her. "This is mag boot training." Sam looked down, and tried lifting her foot. It was stuck to the metal surface.

"So, how do I move?"

"Just move your feet slightly to the side before trying to walk. You'll have to train your body to move differently, and that might take a while. But that's what the training is for." Sam nodded slightly, unsure if Talia could see it. She took her right foot, and tried moving it to the side, before picking it up. Her foot went flying wildly to the side, and if it wasn't for her other foot still being stuck in place, she would have spiralled out into space. Her weak knee bent awkwardly, sending waves of pain through her body. Sam bit down a scream, and tried to straighten herself out. She forced her right leg down, hard. The mag boot clicked back into place, and she bent over. Rubbing her knee a bit, she straightened herself out, and rolled her shoulders. _I'm going to do this._ She attempted to move again, using her left leg instead. Sam's results were almost identical as before. "Try using your ankle to slide instead. Just your ankle, Shepard. If you try to lift up your heel at the same time, you risk breaking your ankle, if not your entire foot."

Sam attempted to maneuver her ankle slightly, without raising her heel. It was a lot harder than it sounded. She could feel shards of pain in her ankle. "Dammit!" She breathed in deeply, trying to steady herself. She stretched her arms above her head, clasped them together, and bent slightly backward, stretching out her entire body. Standing up straight, she let her arms fall back down, swinging slightly. And she attempted to walk again. Again and again, she failed, but she was determined to do it. The last time she tried, she almost did break her ankle. Talia ended the program and rushed over to Sam.

Sam removed the helmet, letting it fall from her fingers. Her face was twisting in pain. "Let me see it," said Talia. She gently lifted Sam's leg and prodded at her ankle. "Some swelling, but I don't think you broke it. Let's get you to medical." Talia helped Sam up, supporting Sam's side. They made their way, slowly, to the elevator. "You did better than I thought, but stop pushing yourself so hard. You don't have to get it right the first time. That's the point of training, Shepard." Talia gently patted her shoulder. Sam just hung her head, trying to keep her weight off of her foot.

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><p><strong>AN:Sorry it took so long to get this one out. My updating seems to be sporadic, I know. Between hectic work weeks, killer headaches, and some finally gorgeous weather, I've been distracted lol. Hope you all enjoy this one. :)**


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